Thursday, July 22, 2010

String Pendant Balls for the Nursery

One thing I was determined to do in the nursery was to put some sort of interesting object over the changing table for the baby to look at during the many upcoming diaper changes ahead of us. I had seen HGTV make string pendant lamps several times on different shows and decided that would be the perfect solution....minus the actual light. Just the balls please for me!Step 1: Collect your materials.You will need crochet thread in your selected colors. I have since found out that lighter colors look a little better since it's harder to see the glue (even though it dries clear you could sort of see it on the navy color I selected). You will also need a round bustable object....some people used balloons but found they weren't perfectly round and deflated overnight, some people also used beach balls, but they were a little large for me - in the end I found these bouncy balls at the dollar store which were about 8 inches in diameter that were perfect for me. And finally you need some glue - I used Aleen's Tacky Glue.

Step 2: Make a starting point.

I used a top of a spice jar for my starting point. You could use the top of a milk jug or whatever you wish. Just tape it to the ball and tape the crochet thread to that. It will also provide you with a nice open circle at the top of your string pendant to remove the ball and in case you do want to make it into a light. Just make sure you measure make it the right size for the pendant light you will be inserting later if you choose to go that route.

Step 3: Start wrapping!

This is messy. Put some newspaper or wax paper down to protect your work surface. Pour some glue on your fingers and run the string through the glue and wrap at random.

Step 4: Wrap until your heart's content!

Just keep going until you feel you have covered enough of the ball. Then sit back and let it dry. You should probably let it dry overnight.....I just let it dry a few hours, but it was fine (I'm an impatient person).

Step 5: Pop the ball and remove.

This is where that little hole you created at the start comes in handy. Pop the ball and remove it through that open space. I used scissors and tweezers to extract it just be careful not to cut any of the crochet thread.

Step 6: Hang them up!

I used tiny white hooks and fishing line to secure them to the ceiling at staggering lengths.

Voila! Interesting objects to keep the baby's attention. Below is what the baby will see.

2 comments
:

SO cute!!!!! i'm actually contemplating running out to a local craft store and buying the necessities to make these adorable hangy balls immediately!! they're so much.. more manly than those poms that I've seen everywhere!! haha, love it!

HI! I'M LAURA.

Once a Martha Stewart wanna-be, now stay-at-home mom, I find myself living in a world of sticky floors and excellently cropped photos. I'm a perfectionist at heart, ungracefully succumbing to the reality of motherhood. I don't do drop-overs, but here you are always welcomed. So, sit back, laugh, cry, but most importantly enjoy this realistic ride called life of two with me.